Laying Out Pattern Pieces Trimming & Clipping

Fill in the blanks using the word bank below. When cutting out pattern pieces, leave at least half an inch around the cutting line.If pattern pieces are wrinkled, press them with a warm, dry iron.Any pattern pieces marked "Place on Fold" must be placed on the fold.Do not cut along the folded edge!Pieces to be cut on the grain of the fabric are placed with the grainline arrow parallel to the selvage edge.Securely pin the patterns to the fabric, placing pins inside the cutting lines.Do not overlap the pattern pieces, and be sure pieces are pinned smoothly, eliminating any wrinkles between the fabric and pattern.Using sharp sewing shears, begin cutting from the edge of the fabric along the cutting line of each piece.Trimming involves cutting off the excess seam allowance.Seam allowances are trimmed to reduce bulk.Clipping and notching both make use of small cuts in the seam allowance to let corners or curved seams lie flat after construction.Clipping uses simple slits perpendicular to the stitching, and is usually done on inner curves or corners.Notching is used on outer curves to reduce bulk, and is done by cutting small wedges from the seam allowance.